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Astrology
The varied magical practices grouped under the term Astrology, ranging from divination to catalyzation of specific mystical rituals, supposedly derive their power from the celestial bodies visible in Solthris' night sky, and the relations between them. The truth, however, is slightly more complicated. Ley lines, Nodes and Resonance Through the whole of the observable cosmos run currents of magical energies called ley lines. The powers contained in such currents are not uniform, but each is rather tied to a specific resonance - a particular ley line might bring energy resonating with mortals would understand as the "concept of decay" from a corner of the universe to another, spreading entropy and dimming stars in the course of centuries, while another one, resonating with the mortal "concept of attraction" would subtly bring entire hypothetical civilizations together in peace and harmony. At the points in which a number of ley lines cross and touch one another, nodes form. Wellsprings of power to those keen enough to notice their existence, nodes can be likened to physical stars by their effect upon the subtle world - the radiance is unmistakable. Nodes are, however, not "spiritual reflections" of stars, and indeed there seems to be no overlap between both phenomena. Whenever cosmic ley lines cross, they do so in what seems to be "empty space" from the naked eye. Mirroring the celestial ley lines that span the vastness beyond, each planet also features terrestrial ley lines. Much like their loftier counterparts, terrestrial ley lines carry specific resonances, but theirs are much "heavier", metaphysically speaking, than the subtle and hazy concepts that flow above. Terrestrial ley lines are attuned to blood and rage, fire and steel. The nodes formed at their intersections are the sites of power of ancient civilizations, the ground upon which temples and palaces were erected to tap into (or seal away) the dangerous energies brimming underneath. Earth and Sky - Sidereal Nodes Celestial and terrestrial ley lines are of different densities, and travel in different frequencies. Eventually however, for reasons indiscernible, they meet each other, resulting into a third type of node. These sidereal loci of power carry a multitude of different resonances that feed into each other, increasing exponentially both the range and the depth of power available to those who know about their existence. Moreover, the impact of the conjoined resonances not only affects the planet from which the terrestrial ley lines hail from, but projects "outwards" into the empty expanses of the universe, allowing for truly astonishing workings of magic to be done. Astrological signs - Maps of meaning These sidereal nodes, then, are ultimately the origin of what the Astrological Traditions of the worlds call "Signs". A given sidereal node, resonating with love and death and cold and repulsion, would be interpreted by a certain civilization with the the "Sign of the Dead Lover", for example, while another one, resonating with bond and blood and affection and sacrifice would be the "Sign of the Father Wolf". The celestial bodies, stars, comets, moons and whatnot, are not really the source of the strange energies that mortals can learn to detect and recognize. Rather, they are referentials, "landmarks" if you will, allowing beings without supernatural perception to locate the sidereal nodes. In fact, two different civilizations could tap into the same sidereal node while using entirely different configuration of stars to identify it. Solthris The planet Solthris enjoys a very favorable position in the cosmical chart (which may perhaps explains why it enjoys such attention from a myriad of deities and other similar beings). The sheer abundance of celestial ley lines nearby, when coupled with the unusual strength of terrestrial ley lines inside, give it access to at least 15 sidereal nodes of notable might, possibly more. The races and realms living on the planet's surface aren't necessarily aware of such richness - in fact, none of the current ones do. They simply lack the necessary sophistication and magical development to identify the nodes. Moreover, they are somewhat evenly distributed over the world's atmosphere, and civilizations that span only fractions of continents simply cannot be aware of them all. This explain how many different, even sometimes contradictory Astrological Traditions can be verifiably useful at the same time. The high number of sidereal nodes and the expanse of space they cover allow that different peoples can tap into different nodes at the same time. Unfortunately for students of the astrological arts, it also means that, should they stray too far from their heartlands, they might "lose access", as it is, to some of their "Signs". A sufficiently powerful team of astrologers and geomancers working in tandem could theoretically circumvent this limitation, but such an attempt would be exceedingly dangerous. Extant Astrological Traditions Grutharin Star SignsCategory:Astrological Traditions